


Dog Days

by TrivialPursuit



Series: Black Family Values [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-23
Updated: 2013-03-23
Packaged: 2017-12-06 06:49:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/732648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrivialPursuit/pseuds/TrivialPursuit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When he dies all he can do is laugh.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dog Days

**Author's Note:**

> Dog days are the hottest time of the year due to the heliacal rising of the star Sirius.

Live fast, die young and have a good looking corpse.

-John Derek, _Knock On Any Door_

~

There's Sirius (Orion Black III, but nobody except his mother and the Ministry use this part, he likes to be as distanced as possible from the rest of the family), the 'white sheep' of the family, the one who ran away, the one who shamed his family with his radical views then shamed them again by getting locked up in Azkaban for a crime he didn't commit, taking the glory away from the Dark Lord's true servants. Sirius, a citizen of both worlds who's followed by wagging tongues whatever he does

_'There's the latest, another snake for the pit. It's a shame too, he's not half-bad looking.'_

_'A Gryffindor? He'll never last, they'll eat him alive.'_

_'One of the Marauders, fifteen and already a confirmed womanizer. I'm telling you, that boy will amount to no good.'_

_'I can't believe Dumbledore is letting that boy into the Order. Finally cracked his nut, letting a Black into the Order. That boy will go wrong I tell you, mark my words.'_

_'See, what did I say? Betrayed his closest friends to You-Know-Who then killed fifteen Muggles and poor Peter Pettigrew. Blew the boy to pieces.'_

_'Dead at 36, I knew it'd end badly.'_

Sirius Black, the one who slept with half of London but who only ever fell in love once (They broke each other's hearts and bandaged the pieces back together more times then anyone could count). The only one who had 'friends' yet whose friends would often wonder if they knew him at all (They like to think they did, especially James Potter). When Sirius 'betrays' the Potters to the Dark Lord everyone's upset but nobody's shocked, they all expected it even if nobody will say it out loud.

When he breaks out of prison he finds himself wishing he were back inside, protected from the loathing that radiates from those he formerly considered allies. He wishes he were back inside, where he didn't have to deal with all these _emotions_ that the Dementors have been keeping at bay for so long. Wishes he were back inside where he didn't have to stare into the face of a complete stranger and only see his dead friends. Wishes he were back inside with the girl whose screams make beautiful symphonies instead of out here where there's real music.

Sirius, the Dog Star, the brightest star in the sky, the boy who outshone them all yet disappointed everyone. The snake in lion's clothing. So different, so Gryffindor, but oh-so _Black_.

' _Andromeda_ ,' he tells Harry. And it's a lie of sorts, which makes him feel guilty because he once promised himself he'd never lie to Harry, but also relieved, because Sirius is sure no members of the Order, save perhaps Remus, would understand. Andromeda was his favourite cousin but Bellatrix was his favourite _everything_ (She was always so much more then just family).

After he's accepted back into the fold all he can hear are these people hurling accusations at him. Their smiles are fake, their camaraderie forced. And he's trapped in the house full of memories of Her, memories of them. He tells the others that he hates this house (And he does). But mostly it just reminds him how utterly _alone_ he is.

When he dies all he can do is laugh.


End file.
